"What Path does the Sky Haven Clan actually follow, and what is THEIR Aeon called?"
"It sounds like a benevolent Order Path dedicated to doing good deeds and saving the suffering."
"It's already confirmed that it's definitely not any of the known Aeons, yet they still haven't released the information."
"The death of an Aeon is tied to certain plot points; maybe it involves spoilers…"
Ah Xian racked her brains left and right but still couldn't recall any in-game text that mentioned the Sky Haven Clan and an unknown Aeon.
However, she didn't have time to keep thinking.
The sudden shift in the plot made her and the live-stream audience sharply suck in a breath of cold air.
The planet shattered, war raged everywhere.
In a daze, there seemed to be a single frame where the sky was covered with a black mass of flying creatures; the sound was very much like the buzzing of beetle wings.
The seven Sky Haven Salvation Emissaries gathered in the flower sea.
Leon's eyes hid complex emotions as he looked around at the six.
"Have you all made up your minds?"
The six nodded in unison.
"The plan has been approved by the entire clan. Big Brother, we are willing—and we must do this."
"As long as it succeeds, everything that was lost will return once more. The Sky Haven Clan will not fear, nor will we ever forget the past."
Leon silently nodded and only said one word—
"Good."
"But Big Brother, you cannot go. The Ether Star is our home; only you can repel any invaders and protect the spellcasters in the clan."
"Good…"
"May the body perish while mountains and rivers remain!" x6
"May Return While Scenery Unchanged…"
"Then, Big Brother, we're setting off."
"…"
Leon watched the familiar figures spread their wings and depart one after another. On his calm, waveless face, powerlessness and struggle slowly swept across.
At this moment, the screen flashed and switched.
The pink twin-tails girl lay in Leon's arms; the small hand resting in his palm limply hung down.
When she closed her eyes, she still wore a smile.
Crack—
The photo Leon had taken not long ago, the one exclusively of the pink twin-tails girl, shattered like glass falling to the ground.
Her body turned into faint light and dissipated in Leon's arms.
Players recognized her—the twin-tails girl was Sixth Sister, Sera.
[Your mom…]
[Damn, the knives have started, huh?!]
In the camera, Ah Xian smiled in relief, wearing an expression that said "as expected."
"Sera's mama? Or burned chicken?"
"It should be more like the burned chicken's handiwork… good good good, it's you again…"
Witnessing his family member pass away in his arms, Leon said nothing, and his expression didn't change much.
He simply stood up in silence and slowly closed his eyes.
The scene switched; in the flower sea, one more stele appeared, and five figures stood beside it.
"Sixth Sister has completed her mission."
"I never thought Miyu would go before us."
"Big Brother, are you okay?"
"…I'm fine." Leon's tone showed no fluctuation.
"Um, Big Brother, next year I might… not be able to come back in time…"
"Selena too."
"…Mm, got it. I want to add two more lines to the parting words we made back then."
Leon's fingertips brushed across the cold surface of the stele, leaving two more lines—the original parting words.
Then he spoke the new last two lines.
"Cold stele inscribes old oath, meet again at place of farewell."
He didn't explain the meaning, nor did he need to.
Everyone understood; everyone would understand.
"It's a promise, Big Brother."
"Big Brother, we're setting off."
"See you later, Big Brother."
"Wait for me to come back, Big Brother~"
Family members left one after another; the elegant woman, Second Sister Ayla, stayed until the very end.
"Leon, we're family, you…"
"Don't worry, Ayla."
Leon interrupted her, seemingly not wanting to hear the rest.
Second Sister sighed silently, gazed at his profile for a moment, then slowly spread the wings behind her and soared away.
"So oppressive…"
Ah Xian paused the animation playback, unconsciously biting her lower lip hard enough that it nearly broke the skin.
She felt that Leon's heart wasn't truly unmoved.
[What were the words Leon and Second Sister Ayla didn't finish?]
[Don't, I can't solve this riddle.]
"Maybe… Leon is afraid, even terrified of the future where he loses his family. We'll know if we keep watching…"
"And most importantly, what exactly are the seven of them doing?"
"The Aeon who granted the Sky Haven Clan rebirth—could THEY have already fallen at this point in time?"
Carrying a pile of questions, she clicked the screen to continue.
The golden-haired youth, Atlas, had his arm slung over Leon's shoulder, supported by him as they walked step by step toward the flower sea, arriving in front of that stele.
"Sixth Sister, Atlas will be the first to reunite with you; you won't be lonely anymore."
"Thank you for bringing me back here, Big Brother. Cold stele… inscribes old… oath…"
A ray of sunlight fell on Atlas's face; the camera moved to his back.
There, a patch of crimson.
"Holy crap! So much blood… that spot is where the wings were, right? They're broken, broken?!"
Leon's lips moved slightly: "Meet again at place of farewell."
Bathing in the golden sunlight, Atlas's body turned into specks of starlight and dissipated.
Crack—
The photo belonging to him suddenly burst with huge cracks.
"One dies and it shatters once?!"
Ah Xian seemed to recall something; her facial muscles couldn't help twitching as she remembered the fear once dominated by a certain someone's shattered ice.
Damn!
The second stele was erected.
Besides Leon, two people were now missing from those standing before the stele.
"Fourth Sister and Fifth Sister couldn't make it back in time, sigh. Big Brother, when they return, say hi to Luna for me, okay?"
"Good."
Ayla plucked a feather from her left wing and gently placed it in front of Atlas's stele.
She said nothing, only silently looked at Leon once more before setting off again.
An even more oppressive atmosphere began to spread in the live stream; many who usually sent joke barrages quieted down considerably.
Then, the third sacrifice appeared.
The graceful woman with hair tied into a high bun, Nova, lay in Leon's arms as he carried her step by step toward the center of the flower sea.
"Big Brother, seeing you still so calm, Nova is relieved. In the future, you will definitely succeed!"
"…Is there anything you want to say to everyone, Fourth Sister…?"
Leon stopped walking.
"Yes, just say… I don't want to reunite with them so soon. Forgive Nova for being willful this once."
Nova's gaze fell on the two steles, her face wearing a serene smile.
"Take care, Big Brother. Cold stele inscribes old oath…"
"…Meet again at place of farewell."
Crack—
Before three steles stood four figures.
The remaining people finally reunited.
No… it should be said—
Everyone finally reunited.
Only some could no longer speak, could no longer convey their longing; they were separated by two worlds.
In fact, players could no longer hear what the speakers were saying.
The remaining four Sky Haven Salvation Emissaries parted once again, setting off on unknown missions.
Ah Xian already had a guess.
"They're not… burning themselves without regard for the cost to save those who need saving, are they?"
"The way they die—all turning into light and dissipating—is exactly like what Dan Heng described when someone burns body and soul to the absolute limit!"
The girl who used to be as lazily charming as a cat, the light radiating from her palms illuminated an entire star system.
The polluted planet regained vitality, yet she had completely lost even the strength to flap her wings and fell downward.
The scene transitioned; she was already in the flower sea, smiling brilliantly.
Lying on Leon's broad, warm back, rushing toward the promised future.
"Luna is leaving too, Big Brother. Tell Second Sister and Fifth Sister not to miss me too much~~"
Crack—
Seeing that even the death process was sped up this time, the barrage was filled with question marks.
"Isn't this a bit much, bro? Can you at least act it out?"